Is there a specific cause of social anxiety that can be traced and perhaps dealt with as a matter of preventive medicine? It would be convenient if there were, but so far nobody has discovered any single thing that is known to cause such a disorder. Instead, what has been revealed as research has progressed is that the causes of the various types of anxiety disorders are as varied as the disorders themselves. In some cases, there appears to be a strong genetic or cultural factor, while in others, a traumatic event may be the trigger. And sometimes the trigger might be substance abuse.
The genetic cause of social anxiety may not be a cause at all. This is because it’s possible that children learn from a parent’s own anxiety disorders and social isolation, with some of them adopting the same view of the world. And yet there are also cases of twins raised separately; if one twin ends up with a social anxiety disorder, the other twin has a much higher likelihood than average for developing a similar disorder. So while some kind of “family” connection is seen, nobody has quite pinned down what role genetics actually play.
The place where social and cultural influences have definitely been shown to be a partial cause for social anxiety is in the realm of trauma. If the person, especially as a child, had some humiliating public experience, this could trigger a traumatic response that magnifies itself over the years. Often the phobia then becomes associated with that particular type of event going on into the future. So this sort of trauma tends to lend itself to specific phobias like pubic speaking, rather than to a more generalized type of anxiety disorder.
Brain chemistry, however, also plays a role as a cause of social anxiety. This can either be one’s inherent brain chemistry, or the problems may result from substance abuse. Or there can be a mix of both, as the person self-medicates with alcohol or drugs, as their own treatment for social phobia difficulties. They may feel better at first, but eventually these substances are more likely to make the phobias worse.
So even though many of the causes of these anxieties are known, there can often be several factors operating at once, from social to physical. When a person is dealing with more than one potential cause, treating their social anxiety can be more challenging.
There are effective ways to deal with anxiety and panic attacks, from cognitive coping strategies for anxiety to natural and herbal remedies. Visit the Panic and Anxiety Disorders site now for the information and advice you need.
